This invention relates to suspension systems with automatically and remotely controlled variable damping shock absorbers.
In one type of currently available shock absorbers variable damping is achieved by varying the size of a damping orifice. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,882 discloses a shock absorber with a gas spring which varies the damping orifice size depending on the compression of the shock absorber. Another type of shock absorber features a tapered metering pin which varies the size of an orifice depending upon the amount of shock absorber compression and extension. Both of these types of shock absorbers have disadvantages in that the damping orifice size cannot be adjusted independent of the amount of shock absorber compression or extension. Other adjustable damping shock absorbers require manual adjustment of the damping orifice at the shock absorber. None of these systems provide a shock absorber which is remotely adjustable, either automatically or manually.